For many years, veterinarians have realized the efficiency of placing an animal on a table for various medical treatments. Naturally, therefore, the art is crowded with various devices for such purposes. It would seem improbable that further improvements could be fundamentally possible. However, the present invention shows that this view is untrue.
In reviewing the general state of the art, it is apparent that a gap is missing in the field of veterinary preparation tables. The gap is filled by the present invention. The gap that is missing includes the ability of a medical person to easily move an animal onto a table. The animal may be in a sedated condition at the time of the move. The present device allows a change of elevation prior to moving the animal onto the device as well as a particularly shaped upper table configuration to ease in the relocation of the animal onto the table.
In the instance of the fixed exam table, the table may lower to within four inches of the floor enabling a dog to step upon the table and be raised to a height of 40 inches from the floor or anywhere in between, to facilitate examination without lifting the animal. By making the lifting table portion of the fixed exam table perpendicular to the wall instead of parallel to the wall, both sides of the animal can be examined without lowering the table and repositioning the dog, perhaps a large dog, and again raising the exam table to desired examination height. It is again surprising that the present invention fills this gap even though the field is crowded with a wide variety of devices and improvements. Certainly, those in the art appreciated that a problem existed in attempting to make more suitable and easier the lifting of the animal, in the exam room or treatment area, yet apparently failed to appreciate the solution.
This area of improvement has heretofore gone unnoticed in spite of a long felt need and a long available arts and elements. What is surprising is that the present invention fills the gap even though the field is crowded with a wide variety of devices and improvements. With the field crowded, it may be apparent that those skilled in the art made substantial attempts to fill the need, but were unsuccessful in achieving what the present invention accomplishes. In contrast, the apparent direction of the art was to teach away from the technical direction of the present invention in that, among other aspects, previous tables were generally flat in nature and did not lower with the ease and variety of elevations nor with the shape of the table that the present invention teaches. Furthermore, the present invention is unique in its combination of results from what some could consider available elements.